You are here

THINK Surgical and United Orthopedic Corporation Announce Collaboration to Deliver Enhanced Precision and Pursue Reproducible Outcomes in Total Knee Replacements

IRVINE, Calif., March 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- THINK Surgical, Inc. (THINK), an advanced robotic technology company and marketer of the first active robotic surgical system for orthopedic surgery, and United Orthopedic Corporation (UNITED), a leading international designer, manufacturer and distributor of innovative orthopedic implants and instruments, today announced a collaboration aimed at enabling enhanced precision and providing a better fit in total knee replacements. The companies made the announcement at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2019 annual meeting, taking place from March 12-16, 2019 in Las Vegas, NV.

The collaboration will focus on harnessing the advantages of each company's current pioneering technology: THINK's Active Robotic System and UNITED's U2TM Knee System. Joint marketing will incorporate each system into a packaged offering for orthopedic surgeons and allow these combined technologies to be delivered on a global scale.

"We are excited about what this collaboration and complete package offering will bring to orthopedic markets worldwide. By combining THINK's Active Robotic System and UNITED's U2TM Knee System, we believe we will be able to offer unparalleled precision and have the potential to minimize opportunities for error, all while helping to ensure procedures are executed as close to their design as possible," said Jason Lin, Chairman and CEO of United Orthopedic Corporation. "By working together, in time we may be able to offer a solution that reduces healthcare costs and improves outcomes for total knee replacement patients."

THINK's Active Robotic System combines two exclusive innovations to produce a revolutionary piece of technology. The system consists of a 3D pre-surgical planning workstation and the Active Robot, a computer assisted tool. These technologies provide an option for total joint replacement surgery that ensures surgical plans can be carried out precisely as defined. The system's use in total knee arthroplasty is the subject of a TKA IDE study, which has completed patient enrollment with FDA clearance anticipated in 2019. Outside of the U.S., the Active Robotic System core technology has been used in thousands of total hip and knee replacements worldwide.

As part of the collaboration, UNITED will serve as THINK's exclusive distributor in Taiwan and designate Taiwan as a center of excellence for their combined platforms. In addition to offering a total "one-stop" solution to precision total joint arthroplasty for surgeons, the companies plan to explore cooperative development of implants specifically designed for active robotic surgeries in order to provide an improved alternative to currently available total joint replacement procedures.

"Combined with UNITED's quarter-century reputation as a reliable manufacturer in the medical device space, we believe that THINK's expertise in robotic technologies will allow us to potentially offer surgeons a more precise experience in total joint replacement surgery," said John Hahn, THINK Surgical's CEO and President.

The U2TM Knee System has been commercially available in the United States since 2006, and has been implanted in more than 140,000 surgical cases in 39 countries. The U2TM Knee System provides surgeons with a simple surgical procedure and reduces the number of trays required from 6 to 1.5.

UNITED (booth #3255) and THINK (booth #3834) will both exhibit at the AAOS annual meeting from March 13-15, 2019. THINK will showcase UNITED's U2TM Knee System and UNITED will display THINK's Active Robotic System.

About THINK Surgical, Inc.THINK Surgical, Inc. is committed to the future of orthopedic surgery and to improving patient care through the development of leading-edge precision technology. THINK Surgical develops, manufactures and markets the first active robotic surgical system for orthopedic surgery and maintains an open implant policy, allowing surgeons maximum choice for their patients. For more information, visit www.THINKSurgical.com.

About United Orthopedic CorporationUnited Orthopedic Corporation is a leading international designer, manufacturer, and distributor of innovative orthopedic implants and instrument sets. The company offers clinically proven solutions used in primary and revision total hip/knee replacement, in addition to oncology applications. The company has implemented and maintains Quality Management Systems compliant with ISO 13485, FDA and CE requirements. To learn more visit www.uocusa.com.